Block Fortress Cheats And Tips

Build a better barracks with our beginner's guide.

We've just published our review of Foursaken Media's excellent hybrid game Block Fortress, and we awarded the game 4 out of 5 stars. If you're struggling to keep the invaders at bay, here's our complete guide to building a solid line of defense.

- It's very important that you carefully balance the flow of energy around your barracks. If you see a lightning symbol on any defensive object, it's not receiving power so be ready to add another power block nearby. You can check the radius of a power block's effect by selecting it with the pointer icon. Keep an eye on this - don't spend money on too much or too little power.

- When choosing the location for your barracks, there are a number of considerations to factor in. Height is good, as it makes it harder for enemies to assault the barracks, and you also want to make sure you have access to as many resource nodes as possible. Try to strike a balance between profitability and defense.

- To mine resources most effectively, place the mineshaft directly over the resource block. This will increase the acquisition rate of those precious minerals.

- When darkness falls, make sure you have adequate lighting around your barracks, so that your turrets can continue to fire automatically on the invaders. Experiment with the different lighting types - some provide automatic illumination, while others will require some manual control.

- Be very careful when you switch from defensive planning mode to FPS action mode. You will fall directly to earth from wherever you happen to be during this transition, so make sure you're not about to plummet into a pit you can't escape from.

- Newcomers are advised to spend a while experimenting in the Sandbox mode of the game. You won't earn experience, but you will receive unlimited resources to defend your base with. Try not to spoil yourself too much with this comparatively easy mode, but it is useful for trying out new strategies - and helping you plan what to craft next.

- The crafting system in Block Fortress is built around the special resources that can be acquired from each map type. If you're lacking a certain resource for a juicy upgrade, try playing on a map that specifically offers up that resource, and focus on extracting as much of it as you can.

- Certain upgrades, weapons and block types don't become available until you've leveled up sufficiently. To level up your character just keep playing through scenarios and you'll gradually earn experience points.

- Walls are an incredibly important part of any barrack's defenses. If an enemy wave is approaching, they will always try to take out your walls first. Different block types confer different defensive advantages, so experiment to find one that works for you.

- When placing turrets around your base, always be mindful of their arc of fire. There's no point wasting money on turrets that are too close together, as you only have a limited amount of money to play with in the opening stage. On that note, make sure you gather any coins that drop from enemies, so you can repair and upgrade your base after an attack phase.

- Familiarize yourself with the different enemy types in the Guide section of Block Fortress. These wiki entries will provide you with important information about how best to defend against a specific type of threat.